Species
Breams
Description
Available wild-caught, it is a marine fish found mainly on the inner continental shelf to around 150m and mainly trawled, lined and trapped off the north-western coast of Australia, although it is found from Queensland north around to the central coast of WA and is caught in sections of the Great Barrier Reef.
Other Names
Frypan Snapper, King Soldierbream, Longfin Snapper, Longspine Snapper.
Family
Sparidae (Breams).
Season
Available year round.
Size and Weight
Commonly 600g-1.5kg and 30-45cm, but can grow to 4kg and 58cm.
Price
Medium priced.
Relations
Black Bream, Pikey Bream, Tarwhine, Yellowfin Bream and Snapper (Chrysophrys auratus, not Goldband Snapper), with which it is sometimes confused. Reddish colouring distinguishes it from other Bream.
To Buy
Sold mainly whole (gilled and gutted) and occasionally in fillet form (usually skinned). In whole fish look for lustrous skin, firm flesh, and a pleasant, fresh sea smell. In fillets, look for yellowish-white, firm, lustrous, moist flesh without any brown markings or oozing water and with a pleasant fresh sea smell.
To Store
Make sure whole fish is scaled, gutted and cleaned thoroughly as soon as possible (completely remove the lining of the abdominal cavity and the white fat along the abdominal wall). Wrap whole fish and fillets in plastic wrap or place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze whole fish for up to 6 months, and fillets for up to 3 months, below -18ºC.
To Cook
Average yield is 35%. Has a mild, sweet flavour, low oiliness and moist, soft-medium flesh.
Cooking Methods
Steam, poach, pan-fry, bake, grill, barbecue. A good plate-sized fish cooked whole, flesh also works well in mousseline.
Goes Well With
Capers, chilli, coriander, garlic, ginger, lemon, lemongrass, lime, parsley, soy sauce.
Alternatives
Emperors, Morwong, Seaperches.
Imports
None. Frozen imported fillets of other species are sometimes sold as ‘Seabream’, although there is also an Australian fish called Seabream, which is actually a member of the Emperor family.
Recipes
Steamed Whole Bream with Green Chilli & Coriander
Yellowfin Bream with Vietnamese Salad
Almond-Crusted Tarwhine Fillets with Roasted Potatoes & Saffron Garlic Mayonnaise